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In one of the three public hearings at the Florissant City Council meeting Monday. a proposed amendment to the zoning code to modify the definition of daycare centers prompted the most interest.  City staff has proposed some changes to the code.

Patricia Frank, from Little Learners daycare, spoke at the hearing. She said that she was unaware that the city was studying the zoning for daycare centers, and said she would like to meet with the council to discuss the issue. “We want to be involved and participate,” she said.

She also said that she was concerned that the city committee that studied the issue misinterpreted some state of Missouri regulations. She cited a discussion at the last council meeting where they discussed cot storage as an example. She said the council seemed to think that the state required a separate storage room, which, she said, it does not.

She said that Little Learners had three centers in St. Charles and two in Florissant. These proposed changes, she said, make it “totally discouraging for us to move more into the city.”

Under the proposed bill, 13 commercial centers currently in the city would be allowed to remain open. However, if they want to make certain changes, they may be unable to. City Attorney John Hessel explained that they would be unable to make what is called an “expansion of use,” such as expanding the building or using it for a different or expanded use. For instance, he said, they could not add onto the building.

Hessel also said the center owners had expressed concern that if the state changed regulation, the city may be unable to change to be in compliance with the state.

Councilwoman Karen McKay, who has worked on the bill, said that the council does not have a bill to vote on yet. “We have a proposed draft,” she said. “Why don’t we sit down with some owners, the administration, Planning and Zoning and hash it out and get a good bill,” she said.

The second public hearing went quickly. It concerned a request by Commercial Bank at 400 West Washington to change the monument sign at the bank. They would like to add an electronic sign. No one spoke in opposition.

The third public hearing concerned a request by the Dairy Queen at 2678 North Lindbergh to remodel the exterior of the building.  David Greer, the owner of the Dairy Queen, spoke to the council. He said that Dairy Queen is changing the name and focus of the restaurant. It will now be a DQ Chill and Grill. Greer said this reflected the new focus on both ice cream and food. The council had some discussion about the painted brick on the building.

Councilman John Grib congratulated Greer for his many successful years in Florissant. He noted that the building is several years old. “You’re taking a 1957 building and trying to make it look like 2011,” he said and that’s a good thing.  No one spoke in opposition.

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